and Sonny Greenwich. His innovative rhythmic approach com- bined with his extensive harmonic lexicon place him at the fore- front of young pianists poised to carry on the lineage of creative masters like Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner.
Bassist/composer Drew Gress performs extensively with artists on the cutting edge of contemporary improvised music. His latest proj- ect-The Irrational Numbers (Premonition), features Drew’s original SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND DANCE compositions for quintet. Earlier releases include the critically-ac- claimed 7 Black Butterflies (2005), Spin & Drift (2001), and Heyday Beall Concert Hall Monday evening (1997). Future projects include a new quintet project, a solo bass 8:00 p.m. February 21, 2011 recording, and an electronics project soon to be unveiled. Drew can also be heard within the ensembles of John Abercrombie, Ralph Alessi, Tim Berne, Don Byron, Uri Caine, Bill Carrothers, Ravi Coltrane, Marc Copland, Mark Feldman, Fred Hersch, John Hol- THE VANGUARD SERIES lenbeck, Tony Malaby, and John Surman. (In an altogether previ- ous musical life, he grounded the performances of Buddy Hackett, presents Phyllis Diller, Zoot Sims, Cab Calloway, and Pia Zadora). Drew has toured North and South America, Europe, and Asia, and has served as Artist-in-Residence at St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia and at the Paris Conservatoire. He has received grants from the National RALPH ALESSI JAZZ QUINTET Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, and Chamber Music America, and currently resides in New York. Drew is an endorsing artist for Thomastik Strings. Ralph Alessi, trumpet Tony Malaby, saxophone Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mark Ferber began Andy Milne, piano his musical studies on the piano at the age of five. He was later introduced to drumming and percussion. Mark studied classical Drew Gress, bass percussion with Mitchell Peters and drums with Billy Higgins and Mark Ferber, drums Joe Labarbera. He has maintained a very busy playing schedule in Europe and on both the west and east coast. A partial list of his playing credits include Lee Konitz, David Liebman, Don Byron, Norah Jones, Kenny Werner, Steve Swallow, Fred Hersch, Billy Childs, Bud Shank, Anthony Wilson, and Larry Goldings. Mark can be heard on recent recordings with various artists on Soul Note, Fresh Sound/New Talent, Sunnyside, Omnitone and Steeplechase Records. He is a part time faculty member for the City College of New York and the School of Improvisational Music and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. University of Oregon * * * O 111th Season, 56th program Mark Ferber, drums
PROGRAM Portal’s Birdwatcher, various projects with Daniel Humair and bands led by Mario Pavone, Tim Berne, Chris Lightcap, Kris Davis, All original works by Ralph Alessi. Angelica Sanchez, Michael Attias and Marty Ehrlich. His debut cd Selections will be announced from the stage. Sabino (Arabesque) made the NY Times and Philadelphia City Pa- per’s top ten jazz lists for 2000. He has a brand new release: Tama- * * * rindo with bassist William Parker and Nasheet Waits on drums on the Clean Feed label. His other releases include: Adobe available on ABOUT TONIGHT’S ARTISTS Sunnyside in the US, featuring Drew Gress and Paul Motian; Ap- paritions on the Songlines label featuring Tom Rainey, Mike Sarin, Ralph Alessi received degrees in jazz trumpet and bass—he studied and Drew Gress; and Alive in Brooklyn Vol. 1 and 2 featuring An- under the legendary Charlie Haden at CalArts—and then lit out for gelica Sanchez and Tom Rainey. Tony leads several projects of his New York, where he swiftly became a presence on the downtown own including: APPARITIONS featuring: Drew Gress, Tom Rainey scene and a leading figure in jazz education. He’s been a frequent and Mike Sarin. The Tony Malaby CELLO TRIO, featuring Chicago collaborator with such notables as Steve Coleman, Don Byron, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and percussionist John Hollenbeck. The Ravi Coltrane, Uri Caine, Fred Hersch, James Carney, Jason Moran, quartet PALOMA RECIO (Loud Dove) with Ben Monder, Eivind Drew Gress, Scott Colley, Dafnis Prieto, and Brad Shepik. Alessi Opsvik and Nashhet Waits. The trio TAMARINDO featuring bass- has recorded five albums of originals which draw on everything ist William Parker and Nasheet Waits on drums. Tony co-leads the from post-bop to neo-classical. He prefers simply to think of his Malaby Sanchez Rainey Trio. tunes as “organic”: he uses whatever fits his needs, including ex- panded forms, complex rhythms, and a broad harmonic spectrum, Toronto native Andy Milne draws inspiration from various forms to explore the confluence of composition and improvisation. Jazz of music, politics, philosophy, comedy, and science fiction. Some Times named the group’s debut outing one of the ten best record- of his musical influences include Thelonious Monk, Art Tatum, ings of 2002, while All About Jazz dubbed its 2007 follow-up Look Herbie Nichols, Bela Bartok, Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder. A “an outstanding work of intellect and fire.” Although Alessi is an recipient of the New Works commission and the French-America adjunct faculty member at NYU, his most significant achievement Jazz Exchange grants from Chamber Music America in 2006, and as an educator may be founding and directing Brooklyn’s School voted “Rising Star Keyboardist” by Down Beat Magazine in 2004, for Improvisational Music (SIM), which is playing an influential Milne is one of the most important and respected voices in jazz role in the development of jazz’s next generation. Instructors at the today. His highly recognizable group Dapp Theory blends funk, school constitute an all-star lineup of prominent jazz progressives, hip-hop and jazz with seamless precision. Their current release, but what really distinguishes SIM is what jazz writer Chinen de- Layers of Chance [ObliqSound/Contrology–2008], features fresh scribes as its “determined spirit of collectivity”: the school’s mis- compositions by Milne that blend various instrumental textures, sion statement asserts that “Students (through their own experi- infectious grooves, layered with lush harmonies and poignant lyr- ences together) can learn a great deal for and from themselves and ics. In addition to his multiple projects, Milne tours and records needn’t always wait passively for instructors to provide them with with trumpeter Ralph Alessi, teaches at The School for Improvisa- answers.” tional Music, and is an adjunct professor at New York University, The New School University and The Banff Centre. Andy Milne has Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Tony Malaby has been perma- established himself as a distinctive voice at the heart of New York’s nently based in New York since 1995 and has been a member of creative jazz scene, performing throughout the world in numerous many notable jazz groups including Charlie Haden’s Liberation settings, including collaborations with a range of artists including Orchestra, Paul Motian’s Electric Bebop Band, Mark Helias’ Open Ravi Coltrane, Carlos Ward, Carla Cook, Sekou Sundiata, Avery Loose, Fred Hersch’s quintet and Walt Whitman project, Michell Brooks, Geri Allen, Dianne Reeves, Robin Eubanks, Red Mitchell,